Hookah's first stage, what is different in it?

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Now by contrast a shallow water pressure vacuum event using a standard bite mouthpiece and a de tuned 2nd stage.
with a scuba "hookah" umbilical while not fitting a non return valve at the divers end.

First a Big Bang .......Heck the cheap and nasty yellow plastic PVC Chinese noodle of an "umbilical" best described as a recreational scuba sports product you bought off a web site selling junk plastic fantastic scuba gear for your clean white yacht has just gone bang as the cheap PVC from East Far Plastics Co Ltd got too soft under the hot caribbean sun and parted with the cheap brass end fitting.

Next your cheap hookah 2nd stage looses its soft rubber seat because you just pushed the purge button while wondering why you cant get a breath out of the thing, Then while you suck hard for your next breath the exhaust valve or also called the flapper valve "inverts" and allows an in rush of salt water into your second stage up and into the umbilical in an attempt to obtain an equalisation of pressure between the hose under vacuum and the surrounding column of water pressure its in.

Now you cant breathe in the water but you do and are now faced with the option of a rapid surfacing taking care to breathe out as you ascend or not dependant on your metal state and stress reaction and point of gas loss in inhalation or exhalation. Or you breathe in the mixture of salt water and any medical damage from the inital pressure loss and you drown.

Failing that any medical event of even of a minor nature on a yacht out away from 1st state medical facilities or without a small transportable 50 metre 2 man capable hyperbaric chamber on deck in order to even have a chance to cope with your spontaneous primary pneumothorax event. You finally take a last look around and kick the bucket.
 
I am just researching for the hell of it, as a curiosity. No use is intended what so ever.

Well that good news at least your saved from me getting into the gory stuff. lol

But for those brave souls willing to put life before limb using recreational "hookah" even the non return valve is also something that should be considered with great care. No point buying the first thing you see off Ebay that fits the threads only to find out its got a 25psi strength spring so strong you cant breath from it.

Also pretty pontless when you find out its internal spring rusts in sea water or better yet is made in China using mild steel (even plated) or standard piano wire for the spring.

And when the spring breaks does it fail safe or jam shut?
This not the sort off nagging back of the mind question you need to have to contemplate when looking at the pretty fish or arms deep in mud in zero viz humping those sand bags, now is it.

Better yet having to decide the cracking pressure, The spring rate (as its called) the CV factor rating for the flow capacity at the normal nominal and low pressure ranges, just in case.

And for those wondering how much more you can take. We are only about 10% in as to what you need to know before buying a competant safe recreational hookah system. Iain
 
We are only about 10% in as to what you need to know before buying a competant safe recreational hookah system. Iain

And one might wonder why I prefer OC, after using both. There isn't much one can access in a casualty on surface supplied when they are, pick your depth, feet underwater. I'll leave it to the proffessionals who work underwater for a living.
 
Man, who knew diving with a hookah was almost as dangerous as diving with split fins:eek:.
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Just kidding, calm down...
 
Two more hookah questions:

1) Gasoline hookah compressors, how do you make sure not to suck in the exhaust?

2) Compressor hookahs (gas or battery), how does it weather around the salt water? Does it rust quickly?
 
Two more hookah questions:

1) Gasoline hookah compressors, how do you make sure not to suck in the exhaust?

Dont attach the DV to the exhaust end?


2) Compressor hookahs (gas or battery), how does it weather around the salt water? Does it rust quickly?

Define quickly, usually within the first day you can see it starting.
 
Look we need a baseline on the specific product/s your looking at.

All of the recreational compressors made in China and Mexico you see on these sports shop window displays
and web sites in bright colours use a small cast aluminium single stage diaphragm compressor.

It does two things: 1. It gets very hot, very quickly during use even on a cold day due to its single stage compression.

1. Define hot I guess. Well for an ambient air temperature of 70F to compress air from ambient pressure and temperature to 100psi in a single stage hit will achieve a gas temperature of 493.5 degrees F

2. Ouch.
 
1. In addition all of the fitting and fixings are mild steel zinc plated so good look using it a week before rust starts showing.

2. Ditto for the engine and hope its a small Honda the GX range (Red and Cream) and not another Chinese rip off
 
The one good thing about the petrol (gas) engine on a hookah. Well two things really.

1. When it goes quite in the surrounding water especially in black water and you cant hear the engine running anymore its time to surface and real quick.

2. You cant get electrocuted from it, like with those mains power jobbies if you forget to tie them down on deck
and dont have a short enough power cable.

It's also a good idea to test breathe the hose down just to see how little "reserve" you have in the hose.
 
And one might wonder why I prefer OC, after using both. There isn't much one can access in a casualty on surface supplied when they are, pick your depth, feet underwater. I'll leave it to the proffessionals who work underwater for a living.

Bob its not that bad, you do get to enjoy it eventually. Once you have forgotten everything I said.

Besides at least we dont loose our divers, like you scuba lot and can always yank them back up to the surface on the umbilical with them hopefully still attached at the other end.

With another caveat to others I guess of always attach yourself securely to the umbilical with a belt or harness and not swim about with just the 2nd stage in your mouth unless your a circus act and can hang on a rope with your teeth.

Also make sure the umbilical is tied off at the surface as this saves you the bother of dragging the pump off the deck down to meet you.

On the point of lashings and tying off. It's really not a good idea to tie off the umbilical to your weight belt.
I should'nt have to explain that one much deeper or your all in the wrong sport.

And the other "professional" trick is when diving off someone elses yacht is always make sure you have the keys to the engine in your pocket with you (and hide the spare) again should be a no brainer but the hose isnt that good for watersking behind and if your doing work on a "posh yacht" in harbour you dont want to be dragged into the thrusters or props. If in doubt maybe also consider a longer hose to give more time to bail out before impact and a quick release jaw snap shackle to effect a quick release escape.

I guess were now 12% in. Iain
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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